Compass American Guides Gulf South 1ed.Created by local writers and photographers, Compass American Guides are the ultimate insider's guides, providing in-depth coverage of the history, culture and character of America's most spectacular destinations. Covering everything there is to see and do as well as choice lodging and dining, these gorgeous full-color guides are perfect for new and longtime residents as well as vacationers who want a deep understanding of the region they're visiting.
Outstanding color photography, plus a wealth of archival imagesTopical essays and literary extractsDetailed color mapsGreat ideas for things to see and doCapsule reviews of hotels and restaurantsCompass Gulf South includes Louisiana, Southern Mississippi, and Alabama's Gulf Coast.
OVERVIEWWelcome to the Gulf Kingdom of moss-draped live oaks and deep piney woods, a region defined byits relationship to the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River, and a labyrinth of wetlands. Here life's stew was boiled down to a potent roux so rich it needed plenty of strong drink and luscious food to wash it down. And in the background there is always a rollicking soundtrack of indigenous zydeco, Cajun, gospel, rockabilly, and jazz to tap your feet to.
New OrleansThe name invariably conjurs up the syncopation of jazz, the ramble of the street car along the live-oak-lined avenues, and the juxtaposition of images of tawdry Bourbon Street and old-world charm of the historic French Quarter. Fine cuisine, music, and fun.
Louisiana MusicListen to Jazz and blues in New Orleans, by sampling the music venues or attending Jazz Fest. In rural areas night-life abounds in country bars where the locals come to dance the night away to zydeco and Cajun music.
River Road RamblesThe River Road Runs from New Orleans to Baton Rouge passing one extraordinary antebellum plantation home after another. Come to visit or spend the night, as many are now inns. Enormous live oaks shade small benches, old cemeteries tell long-lost stories of their own, and history is everywhere. Above Baton Rouge visit the lovely town of St. Francisville as naturalist painter John James Audubon once did.
AcadianaLaisez Le Bon Temps Rouler (Let The Good Times Roll) is the theme song for the lifestyle the hearty Cajuns created in the lush wetland region of Louisiana. Visit the beautiful gardens and Tabasco sauce factory on Avery Island, visit the magnificent Archafalaya wetlands to fish or take a boat tour, and spend a few nights in historic small towns such as New Iberia or Breaux Bridge.
Cane River RamblesFrench colonial planters settled the rich farmlands of the cane river in the 1700s creating a unique culture that still endures. Visit Melrose Plantation, home to the prosperous Free People of Color, the Metoyers; see author Kate Chopin's home, where she wrote
Bayou Folk; and visit the charming, old-world town of Natchitiches.
Mississippi Plantation CountryNatchez is the belle of this old, Deep South landscape; her magnificent homes open during the famous Spring Pilgrimage run by one of the most prestigious garden clubs in the United States. Come to be tantilized by the gracious lifestyle of a lost cotton kingdom. North on the park-like Natchez Trace lie historic Washington, Church Hill, and Vicksburg, where one of the decisive battles of the Civil War was fought.
Coastal MississippiThe 88 miles of Mississippi Gulf coastline serves as a sugar-soft welcome mat to the playground of the Gulf South. Discover its rich history while languishing under the ancient live oaks of Bay St. Louis, pit your skills against the world's largest variety of fish in the Gulf of Mexico, and enjoy the nightlif of the Biloxi casinos.
Alabama's Azalea TrailMobile Bay beckons with its lacy fringe of hot-pink azaleas and its evocative past. from the polo matches at Point clear and the utopian grace of Fairhope to a mullet toss at the Flora-Baman Lounge on the Redneck Riviera, coastal Alabama speaks with it's own unique cadence.
